How to prolong the life of cut flowers

To quote Slim Paley, I hope you had a carnation- and baby’s breath-free Valentines Day. I meant
to post this before the big day, but got caught up in my travel prep. You should treat yourself to flowers every week of the year anyway.
That said, buy some and follow these 5 easy steps. [Note: Some
of this may sound like a chemistry class. It’s important, so don’t tune out.]

Step one: First and foremost, condition your flowers properly. Give each stem a fresh cut and soak in water mixed with a floral
preservative -- all contain a biocide, an acidifier and sugar. Acified
water moves more easily up a cut stem.You can use the
commercial “fresh flower food” packets you get from the market or make your
own.

A couple of recipes:

Fill a vase with
equal parts lemon-lime soda and warm water and add a few drops of chlorine
bleach to prevent bacteria.

Fill a gallon
container with water and add two ounces of the original Listerine mouthwash.
Listerine contains sucrose, bactericide and acid. Fill vases with mixture.

Step 2: Use sharp
scissors or a knife and cut each stem at a 45-degree angle. If you cut straight
across, there’s a chance the stem will rest flat on the bottom of the vase and
water won’t be able to enter.

Step 3: Remove any
thorns and cut off any leaves that will fall below the water line. This prevents
bacteria from multiplying in the water and clogging stems.

Step 4: Change water and
re cut stems frequently – ideally every two to three days. Adding flower
conditioner is a plus.

Step 5: If your
arrangement sits in a room with lots of sunlight, turn it every day so a
different side faces the sun. Otherwise some flowers, such as tulips, will
twist toward the sunlight. Flowers will last much longer in a cool room away
from sunlight, heating and cooling vents.

Fun fact: Tulips
open immediately and continue to grow up to one inch in water. Buy them
while their heads are still inside the leaves and don’t unwrap until ready to
use in your arrangement.

Carolyne Roehm is my all-time favorite floral designer, gardener and entertainer. I own many of her books. Her Seasonal Notebooks are my faves. Out of print, they are available used on amazon.com.Some of her fab table scapes.